Developer Paul Saunders says soda factory name will live again in BMPS 88's plan for Orange hotel

Co-owner of BMPS 88, the development company behind the transformation of the Summer Centre shopping centre and a proposed hotel and hospitality venues adjacent to it, Mr Saunders said he was captivated by Euan Greer's insight into the building, best known as the former home of Ron Boulton's Cycles.

Mr Saunders said it was the only submission against his company's plans to build a 98-room hotel on the site which forms an L-shape around several existing buildings and which also has frontage on Sale Street.

"Funnily enough I don't have to [maintain it the facade], I've got DA approval to demolish it but the only objection I had was from a historian," Mr Saunders said.

"He wrote this amazing piece of history about that building and it's stuck with me and I've been thinking about it ever since. It goes back to around 1877 and it was the Orange Soda Company.

"So we're going to launch it as the Orange Soda Company but reimagine it."

The building, which was probably built a few year's before 1877, has housed a number of soft drink enterprises starting with the Great Soda, Lemonade and Cordial Manufacturers in 1877. It was then Butler and Barrett Cordial Factory and eventually morphed into Mayfield's Cordials in the 1920s.

The building has also housed the Equitable Grocery Stores (late 20s) and the NSW Egg Board (1950s) before it was switched to sell automotive spare parts during the 70s and 80s. Ron Boulton's was in the building from 1991 to 2011.

While the back of the building will be demolished to create space for a 98 room motel and a hospitality hub to be known as The Laneways, Mr Saunders said the antique bricks and bluestone will be recycled as part of the $35 million build.

For his part, Mr Greer said he was gob-smacked his submission was successful.

"That a simple member of the community with an interest in heritage was able to influence a developer himself, not just council staff, I was quite chuffed really," he said.

The Laneways project had gained planning approval last year but Mr Saunders said he was placing amended plans before council before starting the build, he hopes early in 2023.

At 21,000 square metres, BMPS 88's site - which includes the Summer Centre, soon to be reborn as The Village, its carpark, the historical building currently housing Choox on Sale Street and the proposed hotel site - is the largest privately owned commercial site in Orange's CBD.

Mr Saunders said his company had faith in Orange's future.

"I'm not the only one, I was out at Printhie wines and their new cellar door, it gives me confidence that other people can see the rich [sense of] community and population here.

To read more stories, download the Central Western Daily news app in the Apple Store or Google Play.

HAVE YOUR SAY

Send a letter to the editor using the form below